Judy's Profile

As a result of rheumatic fever, I was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation and had my first mitral valve replacement in 1984 when I was 28 yrs old. This valve worked great for eight years before it needed to be replaced. In 1991 this tissue valve was replaced with a St. Jude mechanical valve that I have had for the past 25 years. Unfortunately that valve had been leaking for a few years and had really left me with no other option than to face another OHS for my third valve. I'm happy to say on September 13, 2017, I received my new valve and am feeling better and doing more walking than I have been able to do in a long time. I had a lot of fear going in for the 3rd time, but my surgeon, Dr. Lanza was so helpful with his confident and positive outlook on my surgery, it helped me stay calm and positive. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Lanza. I believe I may be recovering more quickly than I did with the two previous surgeries.